Before Dawn
by Sunfish-chan
Summary: Sasori would always sit and enjoy the early mornings, alone as he worked on his puppets. But a new arrival would change that. Now a full story in progress. Sasori learns to deal.
1. Before Dawn

**This is something I always wanted to write about :D Sasori dealing with a child Deidara! This may become more than a oneshot. I may decide to add on to this in the future, but hey! Who knows. I lack conviction.**

**I own nothing! Nothing I say! Ask me and I'll deny everything!**

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Before Dawn

Thin ripples danced along the shoreline, tracing the empty beach and lapping gently at the moss laden stones. Gloomy clouds peppered the sky, drifting along with the gentle morning breeze. Birds cooed and twittered amongst themselves, springing about the dim trees that hung beyond the coastline.

A rustling within the trees sent a flurry of birds into the air. A small redheaded male turned around slowly, no longer feeling as safe upon his mossy perch. He scowled, quietly placing the puppet he had been whittling away at, upon the soft green. He glowered at the surrounding vegetation, unable to pinpoint the source of the racket.

With a start, he mumbled to himself and picked up the aforementioned puppet, carving away. A soft whine arose from the bushes, a small yellow head popping out from the leaves.

"How did you know it was me?" The much smaller blond complained, pulling stray leaves and sticks from his yellow locks. "You always ruin the fun, un."

"Brat, it's always you. I don't recall anyone else trying to spy on me." The redhead remarked absentmindedly, half-lidded eyes scanning the miniature puppet in his lap. Upon seeing no obvious mistakes, he nodded to himself and scratched a small smile into the marionette.

"Danna, what are you doing? Are you working on another puppet?" The 'brat' chirped, skipping along the rocks to the preoccupied redhead. "It is another puppet, huh. You're always so busy with your puppets, un!" The tired looking male raised his head, auburn hair falling into his eyes as he gazed upon the child.

"Why did you even ask in the first place, if you knew the answer?" He blinked slowly, chocolate, stony orbs watching the sapphire oceans dancing in the youth's eyes. The blond looked thoughtful, his grin growing as he formed a clever response.

"Oh, Zetsu taught me that! He said it was a rhe-rhit-rhetorical.. rhetorical question!" The boy seemed proud of himself, as he huffed triumphantly, folding his arms over his chest. The redhead's brows furrowed, nose crinkling as he tried not to snap at the youth.

"I don't think that's what I, or Zetsu, meant." He stated in his usual wearied tone. The redhead scratched his head, bringing his attention back to the wooden doll in his lap. "What are you doing out here, anyway?" The older male yawned. The blond boy's seemingly permanent smile faded a little, but his 'Danna' did not seem to notice.

"It's too cold and quiet back there. And I missed my Sasori no Danna, un!" The male dubbed Sasori glanced back at the blond, noting the gleam in his young partner's eyes. He clicked his tongue and grumbled, bringing the puppet and his tools to the ground.

The blond shuffled about, shyly watching his elder. "Come here." Sasori declared, patting his knee as he glared up at the boy. The blond squeaked a smile flourishing from ear to ear as he padded closer to the redhead, plopping down in Sasori's lap. "Now stay quiet and let me enjoy the dawn." Sasori muttered, resting his chin on the top of the younger male's head.

Not even a minute had passed before the blond wiggled, trying to get comfortable, but failed and huffed again—this time due to annoyance. "Un."

"Shut up, Brat." Sasori drawled, leaning back on his hands.

"But, Danna. This is boring."

"Then go back to bed, Deidara."

"But, Danna. Un." Deidara sniveled, leaning his head back to watch his elder.

"Shut up." Deidara pouted as the redhead smirked smugly. "Listen to your elders, Brat." Deidara sighed, leaning against Sasori's chest, obviously bored.

The clouds rolled along the horizon, a hint of pink and orange creeping over the sea of grey. The familiar quiet settled over the beach, the birds chirruping from their roosts among the emerald canopy. Deidara watched the waves churn alongside the soft sand. He felt his eyelids growing heavy at the peaceful morning, the even rising and falling of the older male's chest not bothering the blond in the least.

Sasori glanced at the, now, sleeping child, his mouth set in a straight line. He then peeked at the puppet resting on the sand, grunting quietly as he realized he would have to finish the puppet another time.

The pair sat quietly, one fast asleep, and the other serving as a bed. Sasori adjusted himself, still leaning on his hands. This was going to take some getting used to, he mused, crinkling his nose at the thought.

"Sleep well, Brat."

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**Okay, so, I'm new to this. It's like, two in the morning, so if it sucks, don't blame me me.**

**Who am I kidding? It's my fault! Damn me!**

**Please review? :3 I am but a lowly noob**


	2. Leaves in the Wind

**I actually got a review :D 3 Thank you so much Mew Hana and Moonlight'sServant for the confidence to write more! You guys are awesome. Seriously T^T this is my first attempt.**

**And once again, I own nothing whatsoever! Well, not exactly o,o oh shush.**

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Leaves in the Wind

Sasori sauntered beneath the thick cover of the trees, his hands thrust deep into his pockets as he tried to ignore the bellyaching blond at his heels. His eyebrow twitching ever so slightly, as the child droned on and on about his aching feet. A short pause, then on again as the boy remembered his empty stomach.

"Danna, I'm hungry!" Deidara bleated, shuffling behind his caretaker. "I'm gonna starve, un!" The small blond pouted, glowering at the redhead's back. "You want me to starve. You want me to die! I'm telling Zetsu, un!" At this, Sasori had, had enough of the whimpering; he swiftly turned on his heel and pointed a finger to Deidara's forehead.

Deidara jumped back a few inches, startled at how quick Sasori was. He scrunched his eyes shut, expecting to be struck. Though, after a few horrifying seconds, the youth peeked from under his lashes at the older male.

Much to his surprise, Deidara found the redhead's eyes downcast, worry creasing his brow. The petite child cocked his head to the side, confused by the peculiar behavior. "Un?"

Sasori cleared his throat, distress clouding the ordinarily impassive russet gaze. "We'll go find a place to rest and eat, Okay?" He muttered, swiveling back to the path, running a hand through his disheveled hair. The blond child broke into a smile as the pair trudged along in silence for a few short minutes.

Sasori sighed; he was trying his best not to reprimand the child. But he is such a huge brat, he pondered, glancing at the dark trunks and overgrown sheet of green lining the path.

The forest was dense, to say the least. Traces of sunlight flitted through the leaves overhead as the wind stirred the treetops. The faint calls of birds wafting along the breeze. Specks of light drifted lazily in the distance, Sasori squinted at the lights, brows furrowing in concentration.

Deidara watched the elder, uncertain if Sasori had seen something amazing. The boy halted behind the redhead, peeking around the other's legs. He held onto Sasori's pants, tugging lightly in anticipation. "Are they fireflies, Danna?" Sasori risked a glimpse away from the dancing fires to pat Deidara's head lightly. "Un." The blond sneezed and frowned, upset that he received no answer.

"I don't know. Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. I don't think they are that important, though." Sasori surveyed the child clinging to his leg, rubbing his half-lidded eyes, he began again. "Anyway, shouldn't we be looking for somewhere to relax? Also, I do recall that you were starving not too long ago, Brat." The sleepy looking male pulled Deidara's hand away from his pant leg and held the child's hand.

It felt so tiny, yet so warm, he noted as he lead Deidara deeper into the forest. Deidara yawned, rubbing his belly with a free hand and hummed a soft, "Un." Sasori grimaced at the ever-present sound the blond tacked on to, almost, every statement, he squeezed the child's hand, earning another of the offending noises.

He would have to fix that later, he thought. Perhaps speech therapy or maybe he could punish the blond until he learned better. He could not help but feel his lips twitch upward as he realized how much thought he was putting in to this.

The pair walked on for a short while longer, searching for a pleasant clearing to rest. They arrived at an area, dotted with patches of dry earth, Deidara, suddenly full of energy, bounded from Sasori's side and collapsed in the largest ray of sunshine that penetrated the cavernous woodland. The blond giving a loud, "oomph!" as an apple landed on his gut. Ignoring the smirking redhead, he seized the apple, chomping noisily.

Deidara rolled onto his stomach and propped himself up on his elbows, apple dangling from his grinning mouth. Sasori rolled his eyes and moved to a darker area, still in the clearing but just out of the suns reach. He yawned again, folding his arms over his chest and leaned his back against a tree, sliding down slowly.

"Don't eat your apple like that, Brat. You'll upset your stomach."

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**Hey, this might turn out to be a story!? What? Why do I always finish so late? -.- I need to stop getting distracted.**

**Thank you for reading :D Reviews are highly appreciated. Please? Just one review made me smile like an idiot. 3**


	3. Memories Never Fade

**Thank you, Mew Hana for your continuing support. And thank you, BooRadley (awesome name xD) :3 I feel all powerful now! Beware the cute!**

**Questions! You asked questions! Okay.**

**No, I don't think Zetsu would care much if Deidara died xD but Deidara doesn't know that o,o/ This is sort of in the Naruto-verse. And there will be explanations! I will explain things so hard, you'll be all, Oh! She explained everything! She is so cool! ( lol, wtf is wrong with me).**

**This is starting out a slice of life. The cute will be unleashed! More so than it has been already!**

**Once again, I own nothing! And even if I did, which I'm not saying I do, I wouldn't be here . …. Right now . …**

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Memories Never Fade

It was so cold, he realized, as he tried to open his eyes. It felt as though a thin layer of syrup had glued his eyes shut. Deidara struggled to move, the side of his face pressed into a wall of ice. Sapphire orbs cracked open slowly, body aching, he groaned, attempting to support himself with freezing limbs.

He looked about slowly, his head spinning as the world faded in and out of his vision. His eyelids felt so heavy, but he knew this was not where he wanted to be. Deidara struggled to keep his head level, though it proved impossible as he lacked the energy to keep himself upright, so he did the next best thing. He fell onto his back, shrieking at the throbbing pain rolling along his spine.

Deidara watched the sky, blinking away tears and snowflakes. The child placed a shaky hand to his forehead, the worry-already apparent on his bruised and bloody face— escalated into a look of pure panic and terror as he pulled his hand away.

Rubies filled his vision, his outlook fuzzy and misleading. Perhaps it was just a hallucination, he pleaded to the endless blue above. His small face twisting into a grimace, the once blond child, now with blood caking the yellow hair hid his eyes beneath trembling fingers.

Snow drifted leisurely to the white earth. The horizon devoured by a grey haze, churned about as the breeze whistled through the scraggly trees. The wind suddenly turned to gales, ravaging the earth and stirring the snow about. Soft whimpers fading into silence whilst the storm razed the snowy land.

Sasori scowled, arms still folded over his chest. He watched the blond for a while, wondering if he should wake the child.

Deidara lay, sprawled in the remaining sunlight. He whimpered and hid his face in his tiny fists.

Sasori sighed, and pushed himself off the tree he had previously been resting on. He stepped over the blond, crouching at his side. He did not know the best way to wake the child, he was never good with sort of thing. But he had yet to kill the brat, so he assumed he was doing well enough.

The redhead sat for a while, unsure of himself as the blond cried out again. Deidara's cry deciding the plan of action, Sasori grumbled incoherently, flicking the child on the forehead repeatedly. "Brat, wake up. You have slept long enough."

Sasori watched, amused, as Deidara wiggled and scrunched his face up, throwing his hands to his face and attempting to shield his eyes from the sun. A loud smack filled the air, Sasori blinked slowly at the child. "Did you just smack yourself?"

"Owwie! Why did you hit me, Danna, un?" Deidara paid no attention to the redhead's question, positive that the other had caused the pain. Sasori cocked an eyebrow, straightening up as Deidara struggled to his feet, groggy from the short nap.

"Hurry up, Brat. We have somewhere to be." The elder drawled, strolling away from the child. Deidara rubbed his eye, watching the other go ahead. A tiny smile blossoming, the child's face brightening as he scurried after Sasori.

"Wait up, Danna!"

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** I wrote more! :D Yummy reviews feed my brain! 3 Delish :3**

**Please, review? :0**


	4. Gentle

**I wrote another chapter! Wewt! This took much longer than I wanted it to take. I'm sorry T.T**

**Thank you so much, Mew Hana for reviewing :3 And a big thanks to anyone that favorite-d or followed this :D**

**Please, enjoy the cute-ness. None of the characters belong to me! They don't I swear D:**

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Gentle

"Danna? Where are we going, un?" Deidara piped in from Sasori's side, squeezing the latter's hand.

"Home, Deidara." The child nodded and willed his tired feet to keep up with the older man. The weather had turned while they were resting, so Sasori was in more of a rush to return to their hideout as before.

Deidara squeezed his eyes shut, pulling his coat over his head—trying to delay the inevitable. He noted, much to his chagrin, the cold drops seemed to be falling at a greater intensity and the wind picked up; meaning the rain would soon soak him to the bone. Upon the realization, Deidara stopped in his tracks, catching an annoyed Sasori off-guard. "Danna, can we find somewhere to hide from the rain, un?"

Sasori eyed the blond indignantly, eyes narrowed and hair plastered to his cheeks and forehead. Why did the brat have to stop? They were both going to get equally soaked, and the extra minutes spent here, waiting for the child to walk again would only insure that he'd be more sopping wet than he needed to be. So, before the child could whine any further, Sasori swooped down and threw Deidara over his shoulder—too tired to deal with a wailing child.

"Danna!" Deidara squealed, not expecting Sasori's course of action. The impatient redhead smirked, holding the flailing brat up with one hand, the other brushing wet strands from his view.

"Why stop now. We're almost home." Deidara pouted, watching the rippling puddles left in Sasori's wake. Though he hated being cold, this was different, and quite pleasant. Much better than the snow he had grown accustomed to. Deidara shuddered, images of snow and crimson creeping into his mind, "There we go."

Deidara was thrust out of his unpleasant thoughts at Sasori's satisfied tone. The blond wiggled about, pushing off of Sasori to try to turn around. Sasori adjusted his arms, allowing Deidara to sit on the redhead's shoulders. Deidara smiled and folded his arms around Sasori's head, quite nearly blinding the other.

"Comfortable?"

"Yes, thank you, Danna." Deidara giggled, peering through the thin fog that had settled over the land. "Are we almost there, un?"

"Yes, now let me see." Sasori quipped, pushing Deidara's arms up a few inches, earning a whine from the blond.

"How long has it been since we were home?"

"Not too long, why?" Sasori bent his neck back, observing the child curiously. Deidara stared back, large blue sapphires churning in his gaze, scrutinizing the dull, half-lidded, muddy-brown orbs.

"Just wondering, Danna. I miss everyone, un!" Deidara declared after a few moments pause, clapping Sasori on the head lightly. The irritated redhead turned his attention back to the winding path, a quiet 'aha' falling from his lips.

"Don't do that, it makes my headache worse."

"You have a lot of headaches, un. Is your head going to explode?" Sasori stopped in his tracks, gaze rising to the blond overhead, a perturbed expression on his doll-like face.

"Brat." The blond blinked at his comrade, worry creasing his brow. Why did Sasori look worried? Sasori never looked worried. Something was bothering Danna? But before the blonde's mind could wander further, he leered at his Danna. Understanding slinking across his features.

"Don't worry, I won't blow you up."

"Good."

"Silly, I would never hurt my Danna, un." Deidara smiled at Sasori's bored expression. "I love my Danna too much!"

"Don't get mushy, Brat." Sasori looked to the floor, walking along at a brisk pace. Honestly, the notion that someone would dare utter those words to Sasori had long since faded from his mind. He had slaughtered more people than he could count. He was the dreaded and feared monster many had cowered and begged to before. Yet, this blond, this bright child; this plague upon his patience, could say those words with such ease. Sasori sighed, this was going to take a lot of getting used to.

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**I'm still in my funk, so please, review and tell me what you think?**

**Reviews make me feel like a super hero! *fwoosh* lol, no really. Please review.**

**Also! I think Deidara is 10 :D thanks for asking Mew Hana xD I hadn't given the exact age much thought, just that he was a kid. Couldn't make him too young though. *nod***

**Whoops, I had to edit this again! It said I had 666 words x.x**


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